Our Team

Rosemary WaldmeierGeneral Manager

Rosemary Waldmeier has always had a love affair with food. As the daughter of the Drake Hotel’s former executive chef, she grew up with an immense appreciation for the complete dining experience. She even entertained the idea of becoming a chef before her father sat her down and told her to get an education first– cooking would always be there. After working at the famous Gibson’s Steak House in the Gold Coast, Rosemary was bit with the restaurant bug again and later became a summer intern with Lettuce Entertain You in 2009. Upon finishing her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, she returned to Chicago, set on finding a job at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago. Rosemary was hired, starting as a carryout attendant and host before moving up to floor manager, and grew in that position at Shaw’s Chicago until November 2015.

Rosemary is a perfect fit for this neighborhood spot and a thoughtful person who loves the balance of interacting both directly with guests and with the restaurant team. She thrives in the more intimate neighborhood setting of Lincoln Park where the laidback and inviting environment will encourage guests to to be adventurous and try new things from the menu.

Rosemary is a big fan of east coast oysters, especially those from Gooseberry Bay in Prince Edward Island. Clean and briny, this particular oyster is a great selection for a guest who is perhaps an oyster novice or longtime enthusiasts. She also loves crisp glass of rosé, a gin/tonic in the summer and a boulevardier to warm things up in the winter.

Donny FarrellChef

Looking back, Donny Farrell can recognize he’s always been on a path towards the kitchen. A high school athlete who loved the camaraderie of his lacrosse, football, and hockey teams, Donny found a similar type of teamwork in the back of the house. While attending Kendall College in 2006, after studying at DePaul University in Chicago, Donny began working at the now-shuttered Leopold as a line cook. There, he was introduced to the principles of making everything “from scratch” and taking his craft seriously. He also learned the value of local sourcing and using quality products, and that a great menu can’t be created from mediocre ingredients.

After stints at Girl and the Goat as a butcher and line cook and Juno as a hot kitchen chef, Donny made his way to Oyster Bah to become the restaurant’s sous chef. Named by Zagat as one of the 2016 Under-the-Radar Chefs to Know in Chicago, Donny is a natural teacher with a desire to improve and make things better than the day before. He is also the restaurant’s resident Four Letter Hot Sauce chef, making a list of rotating sauce varieties— some even smoked— that are equal parts spicy, vinegary, and funky due to the fermentation process.

Christina SmithManager (Cocktails)

Christina Smith hardly remembers a time when she wasn’t a part of the restaurant industry. Born and raised in Valparaiso, Indiana, she worked a series of restaurant jobs both before and after her big move to Chicago in 2000. However, it was in 2004 during her eighth year bartender stint at a Lincoln Park bar where she really cut her teeth before joining Lettuce Entertain You. In 2012 she joined the team as a manager, leading cocktail programs at Shaw’s and Tokio Pub, two of Schaumburg’s local favorites.

Christina returns to her Lincoln Park roots with the Oyster Bah team where she will oversee the restaurant’s cocktail programs. She has mastered “iconic east coast classics with their own twist.” A self-ascribed “bartender at heart,” Christina loves creating recipes with simple, fresh ingredients. In contrast, her own drink of choice is a whiskey neat with a couple of ice cubes.

She is also responsible for the amazing Airbnb condo space (Pearl in the Park) above the restaurant where guests can spend a night in luxury after enjoying a delicious dinner downstairs.

When she’s not at Oyster Bah, she’s spending the day with her daughter enjoying all that this wonderful city of Chicago has to offer. She enjoys presenting a cocktail list which will perfectly compliment the menu.

Barbara “Bas” WaclawSous Chef

Barbara, better known as “Bas” at Oyster Bah, is a young and energetic contribution to the Bah team.

Bas first discovered her love of cooking at home where her family’s Polish heritage was always highlighted in their meals. Her favorite traditional meals are kluski (dumplings) and kotlet schabowy (similar to schnitzel).

In high school, Bas pursued her passion for cooking with a culinary arts class and even joined her school’s cooking team. She continued her epicurean education at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in downtown Chicago.

Bas joined the Oyster Bah team during her senior year of culinary school in 2016 and quickly worked her way from line cook to sous chef.

In her free time, Bas enjoys exploring Chicago area restaurants and dives into cookbooks. Her current favorite is the French Laundry Cookbook which focuses on classic technique.

Oyster Bah is thankful to have such a passionate and hardworking individual on their culinary team and is looking forward to her continued growth.

Ross Sundberg

Meet Ross Sundberg, Oyster Bah’s Sous Chef. Ross joined the Oyster Bah team and Lettuce family in 2016. Before landing in Chicago, Ross received a job style education in Seattle and New York and was mentored by Chef Seth Bixby Daughter, Chef Vincent Francual and present day Iron Chef Michael Simon. Working around passionate and talented people propelled and inspired Ross to continue his development in the kitchen.

Ross was brought to Chicago in 2011 to reopen Bite Cafe with Chef Rodney Staton and later opened The Ogden in 2014.

When asked what made him go into the hospitality business, Ross explained, “Every night we get to throw a party -there is great satisfaction in the act of cooking and hosting a great dining experience”.

Madison KnellerManager

Madison Kneller is the newest addition to our management team. After living in eight different cities, we feel so lucky to have Madison find a home with our Oyster Bah family. Madison recently graduated from the University of Delaware with a major in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. She bring a variety of experience to the team including spending a summer on a food truck and working in a cupcake shop.

Madison was hooked on Lettuce Entertain You after her stint as an intern at Shaw’s in Schaumburg and Tokio Pub in the summer of 2016. Madison enjoys the fast-paced atmosphere of working in restaurants, and the smaller team at Oyster Bah definitely provides her with the opportunity to grow and expand her knowledge.

When Madison is not in the restaurant trying new oysters, she spends her time enjoying a good novel and visiting with her younger sister who is like a twin to her. They even have matching tattoos! Come on in and meet Madison and welcome her to our team!

Jennifer SteadmanManager

Jennifer Steadman comes from a long line of “foodies” in her family. Her grandfather authored a dozen cookbooks and wrote for The Daily Herald’s food and travel section while her mother ran a PR marketing firm and dabbled in hosting a local Chicago food show…it’s in her genes. A Chicagoland native, Jennifer started her restaurant career as a hostess in one of Chicago’s premier Italian restaurants, Coco Pazzo, where she quickly knew this was an industry she felt a strong connection to for a long-term career.

Shortly after, she found her way to Lettuce Entertain You restaurants and worked her way up from hostess to manager without skipping a beat! She is hands on in all front of house operations, but always eager to learn more from the back of house while striving to provide an excellent dining experience for all guests.

She has enjoyed working and gaining experience at multiple Lettuce restaurants and joined the Oyster Bah management team in April of 2018. When not at work she enjoys relaxing days with her English Bulldog, Abigail.

Luis RafaelManager

Luis Rafael, or “Raphael” how he’s known at the Bah, began his career in the hospitality industry in 2016 after moving to Chicago from Venezuela. Raphael boasts an impressive background as an Industrial Engineer and former University Professor.

Raphael cut his teeth mixing cocktails at a Latin American bar in downtown Chicago. This experience inspired him to pursue a career in hospitality. He was thrilled to join the Lettuce Entertain You team in 2018 and now considers this team a second family.

Since joining Oyster Bah Raphael has developed a passion for seafood- especially for oysters! He loves learning about new oysters and jumps at the opportunity to lend a hand shucking. Most of the time you will see him taking care of our guests and supporting the team.

Raphael completes a daily yoga practice which he says creates a balance for both mind and body. When he is away from the Bah Raphael seize’s any opportunity to travel.

Bill NevruzManaging Partner

Bill operated a variety of restaurant concepts for a decade on the East Coast, beginning his leadership career as General Manager with Bullwrinkle’s Bar and Grill, then as GM & part-owner of Buckley’s Restaurant (sold in 1995), and finally as GM with the upscale American eatery Lucky 32. In 1999, he took an opportunity to leap into in the rapidly growing restaurant scene of Chicago. Bill joined the team of the iconic Shaw’s Crab House, then preparing to open its Schaumburg outpost.

Since he became part of the Lettuce team, Bill has been GM of 3 LEYE locations, Mity Nice Grill and Shaw’s, both in Schaumburg and the River North flagship. He rose to partnership by creating and developing the concept of Tokio Pub in 2011. In 2016 he worked closely with Rich Melman in opening the Lincoln Park original, Oyster Bah. Close behind that Bill concepted the carryout and delivery only Seaside’s, which operates from Oyster Bah’s Halsted address.

Now leading the landmark Shaw’s Crab House brand while dreaming up new ideas, Bill focuses on what really engages him the most about the industry – innovation. He draws from that passion to find new ways of leading his team through potential hurdles in the businesses. “Usually most of the answers are in clear view. The trick is to recognize how we can use good ideas in innovative ways to solve old problems,” says Bill. He never stops looking for ways to improve what is already working well and he leads by a theme his father taught him, “Aces in their places.” He succeeds by putting his team in positions where they learn, grow and succeed.

Bill treasures his time with his wife, Paula and their four children, A.J., Molly, Brooke and Dottie. He looks forward to his future at Lettuce, creating more new concepts while continuing the long success of Shaw’s Crab House.